Metal shel ving bracket



Apnl 7, 1964 R. scHwARz METAL sHELvING BRACKET Filed Oct. 5, 1962 FIG. 3

lA l l l 1 I l l l l l n o United States Patent 3,128,074 METAL SHELVING BRACKET Richard Schwarz, Livingston, NJ., assigner to Bro-Dart Industries, Inc., Newark, NJ., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 228,545 6 Claims. (Cl. 248-246) This invention relates generally to shelf structures, and has particular reference to an arrangement of parts which allows a shelf -to be readily adjusted in height.

The primary objective of the invention is to provide a simple yet effective structure for use in libraries. It is common knowledge that book shelves require adjustments from time to time, to accommodate books of varying sizes. This invention aims to make it possible for such adjustments to -be rnade with relative ease yand without requiring the services off a mechanic or other specially skilled person.

Another object of the invention is to provide a struc ture which permits a shelf to be adjusted to any desired height, the vertical setting of the shelf being changeable even by m-inute increments, if desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shelf structure which does not depend for adjustability upon removable pegs or pins iittable into preformed holes. Such pegs have a tendency to loosen, it is frequently diiiioult to shift them from one position to another, and they often become lost. Also, with any arrangement of this character, the adjustability of the shelf is restricted to predetermined increments.

The present invention is based upon a frictional gripping engagement between a gripping element on a shelf bracket, and an upright provided with a vertical groove within which the bracket is shiftable. A feautre of the invention lies in an arrangement of parts whereby the gripping element is movable from a retracted position to one which grips a side of the groove, the parts being so oriented that the friction-al grip is enhanced under load conditions. This desirable result is brought about by mounting the `gripping element for movement `along an oblique but generally up-and-down direction, there being a spring which uriges the element against a cam to produce a wedging action of highly effective load-resisting strength.

A further feature of the invention lies in the provision of a readily laccessible means, such as a knob, for releasing the frictional grip when shifting of the shelf is desired.

Another general `object of the invention is to provide a structure composed of relatively simple parts, inexpensive to manufacture, yet staunch and study in use-d. The structure lends itself readily to manufacture of aluminum or similar metallic stock, whereby strength is coupled with lightness in weight, thus contributing further to the practical usefulness of the shelf structure.

The preferred way of achieving the foregoing objects and advantages, and such other advantages as may hereinafter be pointed out, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of -a pair of complementary shelf brackets in association with a pair of uprights, the vertical adjustability being indicated;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the shelf brackets, from the rear;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view substantially lalong the line 3 3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional 'view along the line 4-4 of FIG. l.

A pair of opposed uprights and 11 have been shown in FIG. l, each provided with a vertical groove of dovetail cross-section, as best indicated in FIG. 4. These uprights need not necessarily have the contours shown,

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and may if desired Ibe considerably wider. Mounted in the grooves, in opposite relation, are pairs of shelf brackets, each intended to support a shelf between them. Two such shelf brackets 13 and `14 are shown in FIG. l, the structure being essentially the same except that one 'bracket is the mirror-image of the other. It is the bracket 13 which is shown in some of its details in FIGS. 2 and 3, and it is the bracket 14 which is depicted on an enlarged scale in FIG. 4.

As best indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the -bnacket comprises a relatively flat vertical panel 15 having a shelf support 16 on its front face, and a vertical rib 17 on its rear face. In the illustrated construction, the rib 17 is positioned relatively close to the rear edge of the bracket, but this is not necessarily its location in all cases. The rib shown is defined by the U-shaped midportion of a metallic strip 18 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the rear face of the panel 15. One side face 19 of the rib is contoured to dit one side of the groove 12. This is ybest indicated in FIG. 4, in which the side face 19 of the rib on bracket 14 is shown in close-fitting engagement 'with one side of the dove-tail groove 12 in the upright lil. The other side 220 of the rib (see FIG. 2) is not contoured, and is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel 15. At its midportion, the side face 2t) is provided with an opening 21. Formed on the rib 17, in the region directly adjacent to and above this opening is a cam surface 22. This surface may be the lower included end of Ia rigid metallic insert 23 snugly accommodateldv the upper part of the rib 41"7 and permanently held in position by rivets or pins 24.

In the regionI below the opening 21, the rib 17 is hollow, and it accommodates the compression spring 25. The lower end of the spring is braced against an intutrned tab 30 (see `FG. 3) and the upper end of the spring is articulated to a clamping or gripping element 26. This element preferably assumes the form of a roller whose axis is horizontal. Thus, the upward urgence of the spring 25 pnesses the roller 26 against the earn surface 22, thus urging the roller in a lateral direction.

The roller or gripping element 26 is mounted upon a shank 27 which extends forwardly through an oblique slot 28 in the panel 15. On the front face :of the panel, secured to the front end of the shank 27, is a knob 29.

Since only one side [face of the rib 17 is contoured to t one side of the dovetail groove 12, the over-all width of 'the rib is no greater than the narrower front part of the groove 12. Thus, the rib can be inserted into the groove if the gripping element 26 is in a retracted position. It assumes the retracted position when downward pressure is exerted upon the knob 29. However, after the rib has been inserted into the groove, and the knob 29 released, the spring 25 urges the gripping element 216 into a lateral wedging disposition with respe-ct to the adjacent side of the groove 12, as indicated in the upper part of FIG. 4, in which the gripping element 26 is shown in wedged engagement with the adjacent side of the groove 12. wedging action holds the bracket in frictional engagement with the upright and if any weight is placed upon the bracket the frictional engagement tends to increase. 'I'lie shelf support is thus sturdy and reliable, regardless of the Weight which is placed upon the shelf.

Should it become necessary or desirable to shift the shelf, each of the brackets can be readily adjusted by merely pressing downwardly upon the exposed knob 29. If this action is coupled with a slight lifting upon the bracket itself, the release of the bracket from its frictional engagement with the upright can be readily effected. 'I'he desired shifting movement can then take place, and when the desired new position has been arrived at a release of the knob 29 will allow the spring 35 to resume 3 its action upon the clamping element, thus restoring the desired frictional engagement.

The bracket elements shown in FIG. 4 have been shown with reference numerals corresponding to those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, except for the addiition of a prime .in each case, since, as hereinbefore pointed out, the bracket .14 is the one depicted in FIG. 4, Whereas the bracket 13 is the one illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Obviously, many of the details herein described and illustrated may be modified by `those skilled in the ait without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the linvention as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In la shiftable shelf structure, an upright provided with a vertical groove of dove-tail cross-section, a shelf bracket comprising a vertical panel having a shelf support on its front `face and a vertical rib on its rear face, said rib having one side face contoured to iit one side of said groove, the other side face being provided with an opening, the over-all width of said rib being no greater than the narrower front part of said groove so that the rib can be inserted into said groove through said narrower part, a clamping ele-ment mofvlably mounted in said opening, means including a spring for urging said element laterally to enlarge the eective width of said rib and establish frictional gripping contact with the adjacent side of the groove, and release means on the front face of the bracket for retracting said element against the urgence of said spring.

2. The structure destined in claim 1, in which said front face is provided with a slot and said release means includes a shank on said clamping element extending through said slot, and a knob on the front end of said shank.

3. The structure `delned in claim 2, said clamping element being mounted for movement in an oblique but generally up-and-down direction, said spring urging .it upward, and a cam encountered by said element when it moves upward.

4. The structure ldeiined in claim 3, said rib having a hollow part below the level of said opening, said spring being mounted in said hollow part.

5. The structure deiined lin claim 4, said cam being formed on said rib lin the region directly above said opening in the path of upward movement of said element.

6. 'Phe structure deiined yin claim 1, in which said clamping element 'is a roller mounted with its axis hori- Zontal for movement in an oblique brut generally up-anddown direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,618 -Hunter May 21, 1895 582,823 Hunter May 18, 1897 12,439,046 Grim Apr. 6, 1948 2,901,206 Gredell Aug. 25, 1959 

1. IN A SHIFTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE, AN UPRIGHT PROVIDED WITH A VERTICAL GROOVE OF DOVE-TAIL CROSS-SECTION, A SHELF BRACKET COMPRISING A VERTICAL PANEL HAVING A SHELF SUPPORT ON ITS FRONT FACE AND A VERTICAL RIB ON ITS REAR FACE, SAID RIB HAVING ONE SIDE FACE CONTOURED TO FIT ONE SIDE OF SAID GROOVE, THE OTHER SIDE FACE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, THE OVER-ALL WIDTH OF SAID RIB BEING NO GREATER THAN THE NARROWER FRONT PART OF SAID GROOVE SO THAT THE RIB CAN BE INSERTED INTO SAID GROOVE THROUGH SAID NARROWER PART, A CLAMPING ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID OPENING, MEANS INCLUDING A SPRING FOR URGING SAID ELEMENT LATERALLY TO ENLARGE THE EFFECTIVE WIDTH OF SAID RIB AND ESTABLISH FRICTIONAL GRIPPING CONTACT WITH THE ADJACENT SIDE OF THE GROOVE, AND RELEASE MEANS ON THE FRONT FACE OF THE BRACKET FOR RETRACTING SAID ELEMENT AGAINST THE URGENCE OF SAID SPRING. 